Set Fire to the Rain
by MondayRain90
Summary: AU AiHime. Orihime meets Sosuke Aizen on her late Red-eye flight back to Karakura Town. He seems like the perfect man, until she realizes all too late that nothing is what it seems and she is now caught in a entrancing game of Cat and Mouse. T for now.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: ** Hello! So, I thought of this idea while watching the movie RED EYE and I thought it'd be a good idea to possibly do an AU AiHime fic based off of that movie. I will be making changes to it so it won't be a complete script of the movie, I'll add different things and key plot points to switch it up, so hopefully it won't be boring. I'm putting up Chapter One to see what you guys think of it. Honestly, if you don't like it, tell me, so I don't waste my time writing something no one wants to read. But be constructive please, I was to feel inspired and corrected, not pissed off when I read reviews. Thanks guys!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or any of the Characters in this Fic.

_Songs inspired in this Chapter : "Tiger, my Friend" by PSAPP, "Again, Again" by The Bird and the Bee, "Cosy in the Rocket" by PSAPP_

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

Orihime rushed into the airport, soaking wet, as she took one last look at the rain drenching the streets of Los Angeles. The vibration of her iPhone triggered her from her thoughts as she fumbled with the pockets of her coat to find the annoying device.

"H-Hello?" she answered hurriedly as she began to walk to flight listings chart. Naturally, it was Uryu Ishida, her assistant. She had left her duty as manager of the Embassy to him while on vacation and he had done nothing but call her all weekend with incessant questions and endless concerns.

"Orihime! Glad you picked up. Okay, I'm having trouble getting into the computer system so we can unlock the top level conference room for Kurosaki's arrival. There's so much to do, Hime! I need help! When will you be back?" he panicked over the phone. Orihime stifled a giggle as she imaged her neurotic assistant clutching the phone on the other end.

"Calm down, Uryu. Type in this code. Are you ready? It's Con685KK." She explained slowly while looking for her flight number with squinted eyes. Uryu finally typed in the code and thanked her.

"Okay, so you're going to calm down now, right? I'll try to be there soon…hold on…" she trailed off, finding her number. The bright neon yellow display flashed a "CANCELLED" signal next to the flight number, causing the auburn haired girl's heart to sink.

"Cancelled! Oh no! Uryu…I may be in a bit later than expected."

"What! Orihime, Kurosaki is coming in 9 hours, which it still puzzles me that he's coming in so early in the morning. I don't see him being a morning person. Either way there's so much to do!" Uryu screamed into her earpiece. Orihime held the phone away and rolled her eyes. It's just like him to jump into complete panic overload. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose as she calmed her loyal assistant down.

"Uryu! Stop. It'll be fine. Just follow protocol as normal. We hold conventions all the time, chill out. I'll be there soon, I have to go. I have faith in you! You got this!" she replied and hung the phone up before he could reply. She didn't have time to deal with this as she now had a cancelled flight to deal with.

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><p>Her black heels clacked on the marble floors of LAX as she made her way to the long line for the front desk. Setting her carry-on down, her mind drifted back to the weekend that had just past. It had been completely worth it to get away from her job. She worked as a manager for the Embassy building in Karakura Town and the hours were less than forgiving. Orihime always took the criticisms from her roommate Rukia and friends about her demanding work schedule. Then, a month ago, her college friend Rangiku called her for a visit. Orihime booked the first flight to Los Angeles.<p>

Rangiku was always a good remedy for a stressful time. Orihime had met the free-spirited girl in college and they had been close friends ever since, despite the great distance. Rangiku ran off to work as a fashion stylist in LA while Orihime chose the political field, working for the Embassy. She loved her job, she loved the people she worked with, but she still couldn't help but feel lonely sometimes. Everyone, besides Uryu, was so much older than her. Her love life was the same. Her roommate Rukia always set her up with her boyfriend Renji's friends and while each one was nice, Orihime would kindly turn them down and move on.

"Hey, what the hell is taking so long? First, you cancel our flight, and now you're taking forever to transfer everyone! It's just a fucking storm lady, get us out of here already!" someone yelled from the line beside her. Orihime jumped and widened her grey hues at the man's vulgar language. His appearance wasn't any better with his hair spiking in all directions and those strange bells clinging to each end and an eye patch over one eye. She shuddered and turned to the front.

"Sir, we're doing the best we can. We are trying to make the flight as safe as possible. You'll just be transferred to the Red Eye flight, like everyone else. Please be patient." The shorter woman at the front desk replied in a high, squeaky voice. Her pink hair flipped out to the sides and her eyes shown with complete innocence.

"That's bullshit. I demand to get on a plane right now!" the man continued. Orihime rolled her eyes and faced the man.

"Excuse me…look we're all tired and don't want to be here, but yelling at this nice woman won't help anything. She's doing the best that she can." She snapped, crossing her arms at the man. He turned to her and Orihime soon realized he was a lot taller and more intimidating than she thought. Gulping, she backed up a step, only to bump into someone behind her. Blushing, Orihime mumbled an apology and turned to her offender as he got closer.

"What did you say, woman? You need to learn how to mind your own damn business!" the man yelled, raising a hand towards Orihime. She cringed and clinched her eyes shut, waiting for the blow until she felt an arm reach out behind her. Opening her eyes slowly, she turned to see the person she had bumped into earlier holding the irate man's wrist tightly.

"You'd really hit a woman? How degrading of you." He spoke with a voice so entrancing, that Orihime had to stop and stare. His face matched his voice with his slightly disheveled hair that almost covered his brown eyes that were concealed behind a pair of expensive square rimmed glasses. Her mouth open, the young woman took in the scene, her eyes flickering to the pissed off passenger and her savior.

"You're lucky I don't feel like kicking your ass." Her attacker responded, wrenching his wrist away and turning on his heels. "I'm over this bullshit." He muttered as he walked away, shooting one last menacing glance at Orihime. She shuddered again and turned the man behind her.

"You got yourself in some pretty hot water just now." He teased, causing her to blush a little more. She laughed it off and shrugged.

"Well, in my line of business, you have to please people all day long so I know what it's like to deal with the occasional asshole. I think I overstepped my boundaries on this one though…He wasn't exactly nice, was he?" She replied, feeling sheepish at the situation. He simply smiled and held out his hand.

"I'm Sosuke Aizen. Are you on this flight?"

"You mean this cancelled flight to Karakura Town? Unfortunately yes, and I'm Orihime Inoue. It's nice to meet you, and thank you for what you did back there. I shouldn't have said anything to that guy. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, Orihime. I just wanted to keep the peace. So, if you don't mind me being forward, what brings you to Los Angeles?"

"I was visiting an old friend from college. I needed a break from my job and this weekend seemed like the perfect time to go. Now the only problem is, I really need to get back and I can't. We have this big politi-"

"Ma'am, could you please step forward to receive your new Gate number and ticket?" the young woman at the front desk interrupted Orihime as she turned quickly to the woman and nodded. She slowly picked up her carry-on and took one last look at Sosuke. He was so handsome, much better than the guys that Renji had tried to set her up with before. He was distinguished and soft spoken. She then noticed she was staring and the woman was becoming impatient, flashing the ticket in the air. Laughing nervously she waved at him, almost reluctant to go. Again, that was unusual of her.

"Well…it was nice to meet you and I hope you enjoy your flight!"

"Likewise, Miss Inoue."

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><p>Orihime received her new ticket information and made a beeline through security, all the way to the new Gate. It was filled with people of all ages, all anxious to go back home…if that was even their home to begin with. Orihime sighed as she sunk into one of the leather chairs. She missed Karakura and everything about it. Los Angeles was beautiful with all of the lights and sounds, but she missed the Embassy building and the quieter scene of Karakura. She missed her faithful assistant Uryu and her tomboyish roommate Rukia. Soon enough she'd be back home. Just as she was about to doze off, a familiar face appeared on the T.V screen above the gate door. Bright orange hair and a trademark scowl caught her attention.<p>

"Tomorrow morning, Japanese delegate Ichigo Kurosaki will be arriving back to Japan to discuss the latest news on the Security Council meeting last Thursday." The news blared, showing the tall, lanky young man walking across the delegate meeting hall to shake hands with the Secretary General. Orihime smiled at her longtime friend. They had grown up together, almost two streets away. Ichigo had always wanted to be in politics, while Orihime liked the managing side of things. They had both promised that they would grow up and work together and in a sense that wish came true. Orihime ended up managing the Karakura Embassy branch, while Ichigo frequented that very same branch for his conventions and personal meetings. In fact, he was the youngest delegate, giving him much notoriety all over the world.

'What an accomplishment…' she thought to herself and the screen shifted to Ichigo in front of a microphone.

"Guys, we need to find a resolution to the economic problems all across the globe. To be blunt, it's stupid that we can't depend on each other to help, what with the violence and all. Let's cut the crap and figure it out!" he argued in the microphone, causing Orihime to laugh out loud. Ichigo had a knack for having a 'colorful' way of speaking. He always made her laugh. One could say that she had a longtime crush on Ichigo…though she'd get the guts never tell him and he never showed her otherwise.

The news feed cut to a commercial and the young woman found her eyes wandering all around the airport in curiosity. Kids were running amuck, the rain still pelting on the window as lighting flashed across the night sky and people were all over the place in chaos and confusion. Then, Orihime shifted her gaze to the coffee shop across the terminal. Sitting by himself reading a newspaper, was Sosuke Aizen, the man she had met earlier in line.

Blushing, she studied him closely, wondering what it was about him that made her so allured to his presence. They had just met after all. It's not like they would ever see each other again anyway. Rangiku's voice rang in her head and she imagined her flirtatious friend telling her to go talk to him. Should she? Orihime had always been shy, especially around Ichigo, but what about a complete stranger? _"Hime, what do you have to lose?"_ the voice rang out. Smiling a bit to herself, Orihime quickly made up her mind and grabbed her bag as she walked over to the Café.

She played the oblivious card as she studied the various newspapers on the rack, when she heard a deep, soft voice call her name. Turning, she saw that Aizen had lowered his newspaper and was smiling at her.

"Orihime, we meet again." He stated in an amused tone. Orihime shrugged and walked over to his table.

"I guess your right! I didn't even know this coffee place was here!" she lied, hoping he wouldn't catch her in it. In the back of her mind, she still couldn't believe she did this. It was never like her to make a deliberate move to be noticed.

"I come here every time there is a layover in LAX. There's an extra seat at this table, would you like to join me?" he asked, pulling the chair out beside him. Biting her lip, Orihime hesitated as she started to regret her decision. If she liked Ichigo so much…should she be flirting with another man? Then again…Ichigo wasn't here….

"Sure, I'd love to."

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><p><strong>AN: And done. Let me know how you like the first chapter! I hope I kept everyone in character ( coughAizencough) so let me know if I did and if I didn't how I can fix it. Your feedback means a lot guys. Thanks again for reading and please review!**

**PS: My puppy Keigo just got his head stuck in my box of wheat-thins, haha AWWW I love this dog. Sorry that was random. Lol. I just felt like sharing!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: **I apologize immensely for how long this has taken to get finished and posted. School hit me harder than I thought it would and honestly I had a rough writers block. But here it is, Chapter 2! I have decided to take this story to a new route so it won't follow the movie as much, if at all anymore. So hopefully you guys will still like it! Please read and review!

**Disclaimer: Same as always. **

**Playlist: "Symphonie" by Silbermond, "Krieger des Lichts" by Silbermond, "Hawaii" by Meiko, "Again & Again" by Birds and the Bees. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 <strong>

"So what's the best thing to get here?" Orihime asked through the open menu. She was pretending to stare intensely at the beverage list, but her true purpose was to hide the blush that continued to creep up her cheeks. She couldn't believe her own nerve. Never would she approach a man she just met and agree to have coffee with him! She could practically hear Uryu's protests in her head.

"Well, personally I favor the different assortment of exotic teas that they serve here, but the coffee is just as good I suppose." He replied, slowly pulling the menu down to where he could her face. Orihime bit her lip and slowly looked up to see he was staring at her. Aizen smiled at her before shifting his gaze down to the menu.

"Hello, miss, what would you like to have this evening?" a waiter interrupted the two. Aizen leaned back and gestured for Orihime to give her order.

"Oh, um, can I have the Passion Tea with lots and lots of sugar?" she asked, pulling out her wallet before Aizen stopped her, placing his hand over hers gently. Orihime's eyes widened, feeling a slight spark from the contact. Her heart fluttered as she tried to mumble some sort of response.

"I've got it Orihime, don't worry." He smiled and handed the waiter a bill. Orihime blushed once more and mumbled a 'thank you' as the waiter left.

"Y-you didn't have to do that, Mr. Aizen, I hope it wasn't too expensive…" she worried, fumbling with her wallet as she placed it back in her purse. Aizen waved his hand and laughed.

"It's really not a problem, you shouldn't worry yourself with a such a trivial matter. And please, call me Sosuke. No need to be so formal." He explained, taking a sip of his own tea.

Once Orihime's tea was served, she blew on it gently before taking a sip. The warm liquid crawled down her throat as if it was warming her soul and she hummed slightly, not realizing she had an audience. She looked up to see Aizen cocking up an eyebrow curiously and she laughed a little before explaining herself.

"I'm sorry. It's been awhile since I've been able to sit down and enjoy a delicious cup of tea...or do anything for that matter." She explained, playing the rim of her tea cup. Aizen leaned back as a gesture for her to go on.

"Does it have to do with your career or is the life of Orihime Inoue that hectic?" he teased slightly, causing her to laugh again. He had a way of making her feel so comfortable that she could talk about anything. Orihime explained her career at the Embassy to him, getting distracted on many side stories along the way, yet it didn't seem to bother Aizen as he looked at her intently with those same entrancing brown eyes that she remembered admiring from the ticket line.

"The Embassy sounds like an interesting place to work for, indeed." He replied at the end of her explanation, finishing his cup of tea. Orihime opened her mouth to ask Aizen what he did for a living when a loud chime grabbed the attention of everyone in the café.

"Ladies and Gentleman, the red-eye flight to Karakura Town is now boarding at Gate 86. Please make your way promptly to the gates with your tickets in hand." A woman's voice blared over the speakers. Orihime tipped her tea cup and finished her drink as she reluctantly picked up her bags. She didn't want to leave, didn't want to stop talking to this very attractive man that she would probably never see again.

"Well Orihime, it was a pleasure spending time with you. I hope you have a safe flight and perhaps we might run into each other in Karakura sometime." Aizen said as he stood up. Orihime smiled and nodded as she held out her hand.

"Yeah, sure! It was great meeting you, Sosuke…good-bye now and safe flight!" she replied as she waved. Aizen smiled once more at her, his gaze lingering on hers what felt like minutes before he left towards the gate. She watched him leave, feeling slightly sad that this was pretty much the end of her encounter with such a nice man, wondering if they really would meet again in Karakura Town. The chances were very unlikely, but she still hoped for the odds. Orihime caught her breath and pulled out her cellphone as she left the café. Rangiku had to hear about this.

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><p>"Here's to another amazing resolution draft drawn by the great Kurosaki prodigy!" a tall man with shaggy hair shouted loudly in the private jet. Ichigo rolled his eyes and reminded himself to burn the hideous hat on the man's head later. Kisuke Urahara had taken Ichigo under his wing at the young age of 18, teaching him the ways of a proper ambassador for the United Nations. While he still had a long way to go, Ichigo was quickly learning the rules of game as he had seen firsthand the cutthroat nature of the Security Council, especially with the recent conflicts in eastern Europe.<p>

"Shut up, Urahara, and take that damn hat off. No one likes it, just so you know. It doesn't even match your suit." He quipped, leaning back in the plush leather chair of his seat. His feet were pinched in his dress shoes and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with his mentor.

Closing his eyes, Ichigo attempted to push all thought related to that evenings' meeting out of his mind. Things were getting worse, the threats were getting worse and for once he didn't know what to do. He received another hateful letter this week and it was doing nothing to encourage him for the next conference back home in Karakura town.

"Hey now Kurosaki, don't fall asleep on me. I haven't even opened up the refreshments yet." The older man beamed, whipping out a bottle of champagne.

"I don't feel like drinking right now…"

"Why not? C'mon Ichigo, don't let the threats get to you. You're a political figure, of course people are going to get a bit pissed off at what you do, so what? You can't let those stupid letters get you down! Besides, I have a letter that you'll want. Inoue sent you her monthly letter and I've got it right here." Urahara stated, pulling a letter from his breast pocket and handing it to Ichigo. The younger man cracked open an amber eye and took the letter from Urahara.

Orihime Inoue, his childhood friend always sent him a letter whenever he was away from Karakura. She made sure to send it so he would receive it in a timely manner, no matter where he was. In a way, he almost missed the silly personality and sometimes deep conversations of his best friend. Smiling, he opened the letter to read it.

_Dear Ichigo,_

_ I hope the United Nations is treating you well! The Embassy is ready for the Regional Conference so don't you worry. I'll even order those chocolate pastries you love so much…and I promise I won't have red bean paste put on them, although I don't see why you hate them so much, I loved them, they were so delicious and yummy and….well anyway, I can't wait to see you soon! Uryu is driving me crazy! I'm also going to L.A next month to see Rangiku! Do you remember her? I'll tell you all about it when you come back to Karakura! See you. _

_ Orihime I. _

Ichigo closed the letter, laughing at her comment about the pastries. She had such a strange taste in food that he never could fathom what was in her lunch box back in grade school. She always knew the right words to say. He wondered if he could tell her about…no, he couldn't. It was best to leave her untainted of what was really going on. For this exact reason, Ichigo was thankful that the manager of the Embassy never got a copy of the conference agendas. Thankfully.

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><p>Orihime left a long winded message for Rangiku and hung up the phone as she handed her ticket to the gate keeper. She smiled and made her way onto the plane, looking for 32F in the endless ocean of seats. Her thoughts flashed to Sosuke and she almost looked for him until she laughed at herself. She only met him once, why would he care about seeing her again…and more importantly why does she care so much? As much as she wanted to see him again…she shouldn't expect it to happen. He was probably trying to be nice. Shaking her head, Orihime continued to look for her seat.<p>

Three rows from the back of the plane, the red head finally found her seat, accompanied next to man engrossed in a newspaper. Opening up the compartment above her, Orihime attempted to put her bags away, soon realizing she wasn't tall enough for the task as one of the bags fell, crashing to the floor. Giggling in embarrassment, she bent over to pick it up, hoping the man reading the newspaper didn't get upset at her intrusion. The last thing she needed was to sit next to an asshole the whole ride home.

"Do you need assistance, miss…oh, Orihime?" a familiar deep voice called her to attention as she looked up into the eyes of Sosuke Aizen. Her eyes widened as she stumbled up quickly, brushing her skirt off.

"H-Hi? Sorry, I…wait are you sitting here? Because…because I think that's my seat." She stated sheepishly, pointing to empty seat beside him. Aizen turned to look at the vacant seat and then back at her and smiled.

"This is quite a coincidence, do you agree? Why don't you have a seat and I'll put your bags away." He replied, standing up to make room for her. Orihime giggled nervously as she brushed passed him, breathing in his clean, pristine scent as she practically fell into her seat. Cursing the small spaces in air planes, she tried to gather the rest of her dignity as she buckled her seat belt. Aizen adjusted his glasses and settled down next to her as he turned to her curiously.

"I must say this is interesting. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking me." he stated, raising an eyebrow at her. Orihime turned a bright shade of red and sank in her seat a little.

"Er…N-No! I promise that's not the case…I didn't even know you before today!" She clarified with a shocked expression. Aizen laughed at her and leaned back in his seat.

"I'm only teasing. You're quite a peculiar person, Orihime. I must say I'm a bit relieved to be sharing this flight with you."

"I could say the same thing, Sosuke."

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><p><strong>Authors Note: I feel like this sucked. Lol. That's all I can say. It's always been hard for me to do 'dinner dialogue', if you will…so hopefully next chapter will have more action to reel you guys back in. I hope it's not too disappointing, it'll get better I promise! Please review and let me know what you think!<strong>


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